Mercedes S-Class: I Am Your Father

The biggest Benz of all started out less like a saloon, more like a big red bus…

After years of flirting with the letter ‘S' in its top-end models, Mercedes finally went guns blazing and labelled its top dog the S-Class. And befitting its stature as the King of Benzs meant this new S came with a collision-proof fuel tank, a safety steering wheel, dirt-deflecting side windows and rear lamps, and - from 1978 - the first series production car to get ABS. That's a big tick in the innovation box.

Not only that, this S-Class also came with cruise control, self-levelling suspension and was the first production car with a turbo-diesel engine: the 300SD from 1978.